[1996-09-29-WWF-MSG, NY] Shawn Michaels & The Undertaker vs Mankind & Goldust

[PeteF3]

This is probably a top-five performance both for 1996 Michaels and for 1996 Foley. The match gets noticeably better when either one of them tags in. It's probably not in either guy's top five matches from '96, because it drags for a bit after opening with a hot first two minutes. Undertaker has a shine segment and a FIP segment, both of which feel pretty slow. The Michaels FIP segment after that is really good, though, better than the one he had at International Incident, and it's enough to make this a solidly good match. The video quality (at least in the version on YouTube) is bad even for a '90s handheld.

 

[PeteF3]

I REALLY liked this--it takes the March MSG tag and improves on it. Pretty much balls-to-the-wall action throughout starting with Shawn's terrific plancha, with Shawn and Mankind in particular working with great velocity and Goldust and Undertaker bringing their working boots, too. I love Goldust's drop-down-and-uppercut-the-opponent move, a great little transition spot. He's finally coming into his own as a heel worker. Double-FIP structure--yes, the Undertaker actually works a heat segment in a tag match. Not too long, which is the right move, though it's pretty well-done considering that's so not his ideal role. Michaels works some pretty nicely complicated sequences with both guys--at one point he's in the tree of woe and flips out of an attempted Mankind diving strike to the top turnbuckle, dives off and gets caught in the Mandible Claw, then gets out of it by running Mankind into Goldust on the apron. Also a VERY cute finish where Shawn uses Goldust's own tricks against him. This was a treat.